Fearlessly Entering the Void of Christ

No clear proclamations from Jesus regarding his identity come to us from
the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) or Thomas. All are found in the fourth Gospel, the purported writings of Paul, church creeds, orthodox doctrines and traditions. On the other hand, no parables, no concern for the words of Jesus, his Father or his stated mission, no command to seek or preach the Kingdom of Heaven and no indication of where to look for it, come to us from the fourth Gospel, purported writings of Paul, church creeds, orthodox doctrines or traditions. These are all found in the synoptic gospels and Thomas.

Hmmm! Seems we have a dilemma -- whether to believe what Jesus is purported to have
said in the Synoptic Gospels and Thomas, in which he clearly avoids
revealing his identity and rewards those who offer no answers. Or to
believe what Jesus is purported to have said in the fourth Gospel and what
Paul and the church have said about him, wherein he or someone else makes
more proclamations about his identity than we can shake a stick at.

Well, let's see. Inasmuch as Jesus specifically warns us that we should
take no oaths (creeds), that we should believe only his words (not found in
Paul, the creeds or church doctrine), that we should take nothing with us
(Bibles) when we preach "saying that the Kingdom of Heaven is near," I lean
towards the synoptics. But, let's not be hasty. Let's consider that
whereas in the synoptics, Jesus instructs us not only what to pray for, but
to whom and how (demonstrating for us no less), while Paul clearly admits that
he doesn't know what to pray for and obviously never found the Kingdom,
dying only after "fighting a good fight", now I'm heavily leaning toward
the synoptics. But, still, let's consider further. If I accept the
synoptics, what do I take to the world? I take simplicity, mercy,
compassion and unity. But if I accept the fourth Gospel, Paul and the church, what do I take to the world? I take complexity, judgment,
intolerance and division. Care to destroy books anyone? Crusade, anyone?
Inquisition, anyone?

Okay ... just for fun, let's just cast a preliminary vote for the synoptics and
see what happens.

According to Jesus, his words were not his words at all, but were his
nameless, formless, eternal Father's words, given to him to share, with a
mission to share them. According to Jesus, his Father's words are true and
we should believe them. According to Jesus, we should not value earthly
possessions and it is very difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom.
According to Jesus, in order to have eternal life, we must deny ourselves
and carry our own cross.

In other words, we must each, individually (sorry, no substitutions
allowed) and unconditionally be willing to surrender ALL of that which we
cherish, work to possess, fear losing and desperately cling to in this
earthly life...our earthly "riches," as it were.

But...but...but...that's everything we cherish. Yep, 'fraid so. And
notice that these things we cherish are exactly the same as what the
Pharisees cherished (or would have cherished had they been invented).

But if we surrender all, what's left? Correct!
Nothing...nada...silence... darkness...an absolute void...nothing that can
be named.

But, if we surrender everything and lose everything, where does that
leave us? It leaves us right where we started...square one...without a
particular identity (self), no words, no concepts, no possessions, no
education, no church, no beliefs, no memories, no fears...just like when we
were first born of a woman. (Light bulb flashes now!) And how do we feel?
Really small -- smaller than a mustard seed, small enough to crawl through
the eye of a needle...really poor...really humble...really naked...really
vulnerable...totally dependent...nothing to cling to...just the
silence...just the darkness...just the void. Silence...darkness...void.
Scary stuff, huh?
Well, we do have two options. We can choose not to surrender all and cling
to some of our riches. Or we can surrender all and just peer into what is
left, which is all there is...silence...darkness...the void. But, perhaps
if we choose the latter, and if we refuse to resume clinging again, content
just to peer, into the silent, dark void, we may find that, rather than
being something to fear, the nameless, formless void, which has been there
all along, is actually something of comfort and stability and rest and
peace. And we may further realize that our nameless, formless void, which
has been there all along, is the same as everyone else's nameless, formless
void. And we may further realize that, if void is all there is, and ours
is the same as everyone else's, then we are the same as one another...we
are ONE. And we may realize that our (everyone's) nameless, formless,
eternal void is actually our (everyone's) nameless, formless, eternal
Father, who, of course is One with Jesus, in Heaven, in US...just where
Jesus said to look.
Amazing isn't it. Us/Jesus/Father...ONE...HERE...NOW.
Hey! Relax. This isn't the first time that light and creation sprang forth
from a silent, dark void.